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Pigwidgeon
Pigwidgeon '''(fl. 1994 - 1997), also known as '''Pig, was Ron Weasley's first pet owl. He was a miniature scops owl. Pig was responsible for the handling of Ron's mail starting in 1994, he was a gift from Sirius Black after the loss of Ron's pet rat. Biography After Scabbers, Ron's old pet rat, disappeared (having been found out to be Peter Pettigrew), Sirius Black, who felt partly responsible for Ron's loss of a pet, sent him Pigwidgeon (nicknamed "Pig"). Upon receiving the owl, Ron (to the surprise of Harry and Hermione) actually let Crookshanks sniff him to check if he really was an owl. Pigwidgeon was named by Ginny Weasley, because she thought the name was cute. Though Ron tried to change it, the owl would not answer to another name. Pigwidgeon was exceedingly hyper, loud, bothersome, very small, and had been known to be a show off for other people (this, however, annoyed other owls, forcing Ron to keep him in his room). 's new pet Pigwidgeon]] Pigwidgeon was described by Harry as resembling a "fluffy snitch". He was usually excited for a job to deliver letters, even though most of the time they were usually heavy for him. Harry borrowed Pigwidgeon during the Triwizard Tournament to communicate with Sirius who was in hiding at the time. Fred and George Weasley also asked to borrow him in order to support their secretive business venture. Pigwidgeon was occasionally known to hang around the stairways performing for students. This prompted Ron to call him a "stupid little feathery git" for his attempts to show off rather than promptly bringing Ron the letters. He also delivered food to Sirius when he was hiding in a cave in Hogsmeade, though not without the help of Hogwarts owls, as the food was quite heavy. Pigwidgeon travelled with Ron to and from Hogwarts during his years in school, although he stayed at The Burrow when Ron skipped his final year at Hogwarts to accompany Harry and Hermione on the hunt for horcruxes. Etymology Pigwidgeon means "small" or "petty" and also can be spelled pigwidgin or pigwiggin. It combines "pig" with "widgeon," two species of duck found in North America and Europe, or "pidgeon", another name for the rock dove. English author and poet Michael Drayton (1563-1631) had a male fairy named Pigwiggen in his comical poem "Nimphidia." Behind the scenes *J.K. Rowling has said on her website that Pigwidgeon is a scops owl. These owls are tiny grey owls with little tufts of feathers on their heads. This makes sense as Pigwidgeon is said to fit in a person's fist. Scops owls live in open country with isolated trees and lightly wooded areas containing clusters of trees. They may also be found in run-down buildings, caves, bush-lands, and park-like habitat. *Pigwidgeon isn't actually featured in the films, but appears with Ron in a promotional still photo for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and appears briefly in the background while Harry, Ron, and Hermione are talking at the Burrow in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. *A small African white-faced owl called Mars plays Pigwidgeon in the promotional still for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and in the film Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. * says that Pigwidgeon was a present from Ron's family, while he was actually a present from Sirius Black. Appearances * * * * * * * * * * Notes and references de:Pigwidgeon es:Pigwidgeon ru:Сычик pl:Świstoświnka fr:Coquecigrue it:Leotordo fi:Posityyhtynen nl:Koekeroekus no:Tullerusk sv:Piggy Category:Males Category:Owls Category:Ronald Weasley's possessions Category:Weasley family pets